FROM GARFIELD COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT-SATURDAY, 5/20/17
 
After an interesting week we can now rest for a while. I am grateful that we didn’t have any major weather issues but we were prepared. I would like to state a few things to our citizens out there.
 
1- Preparedness starts with you. If you found that you were in the panic mode during this past week’s weather event, step back and re-evaluate what happened and fix that issue. It’s YOUR ISSUE, not ours so take this calm weather period and restructure your procedures.
2- There are no PUBLIC shelters in Enid. Several churches have stated they would open their doors in the event but your planning has to be such that you make it there BEFORE sirens are sounded or the severe threats arrive. Otherwise, you become a statistic.
3- If your facility is willing to open during severe events, CONTACT ME VIA EMAIL and I will put that official list together and then coordinate that with all media folks. My email is mike@gcem.org
4- Don’t demand info from us on social media. If we post with written information, READ IT, UNDERSTAND IT, and you’ll be ok. Some folks get so hyped up, and the TV media doesn’t help this very much, that they apparently can’t read and reason the information. This is why I decided to do some short, to the point live videos. I think they worked for the most part.
5- Finally on this short list and this isn’t a complete list by any means, during ANY TYPE OF EVENT, no matter what it is, DON’T SPREAD NON-FACTUAL INFORMATION, meaning hearsay on social media, especially on our pages. Doing that will get you deleted permanently. We want facts, not fake news or false reports because we deal with the real world not the fantasy world.
6- DOWNLOAD our GARFIELD COUNTY EM app. You will get direct information from your official warning agency. You won’t get that type of information from us on anybody else’s app.
 
We’ll have more info next week on how you can better prepare and we’ll have these on our updated website hopefully sometime in June, yes, we are almost there www.gcem.org
 
Here is your forecast from the NWS/NORMAN;
 
Saturday-30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7am. Partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 67. Northwest wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.
Saturday Night-Clear, with a low around 46. North northwest wind 5 to 9 mph becoming light and variable after midnight.
 
Have a super day!!
MIKE